Teddy Foster: 'Feel the fear and do it anyway.'

Teddy Foster, the campaign director at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs, speaks during the September Women@Work Changemakers breakfast series, sponsored by Bank of America, on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, at the Hearst Media Center in Colonie, N.Y. (Will Waldron/Times Union) less

Teddy Foster, the campaign director at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs, speaks during the September Women@Work Changemakers breakfast series, sponsored by Bank of America, on Wednesday, Sept. ... more

Teddy Foster, the campaign director at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs, speaks during the September Women@Work Changemakers breakfast series, sponsored by Bank of America, on Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2018, at the Hearst Media Center in Colonie, N.Y. (Will Waldron/Times Union) less

Teddy Foster, the campaign director at Universal Preservation Hall in Saratoga Springs, speaks during the September Women@Work Changemakers breakfast series, sponsored by Bank of America, on Wednesday, Sept. ... more

If you could choose one word to describe Teddy Foster, based on her September Women@Work Changemakers talk, that word would be "resilient."

The campaign director at Saratoga Springs' Universal Preservation Hall spoke candidly during her breakfast — the series is presented by Bank of America — about enrolling at Skidmore College at age 40 to complete her degree when her second marriage was ending. When the board president of the dilapidated UPH stepped down, Foster took the helm. The lofty goal of a $5.5 million fundraising campaign to turn the hall into a state-of-the-art performance venue was just that, lofty.

But the funding goal is now within reach, and Foster has surmounted other hardships that have come her way.

"It's really hard for me to ask for help," Foster said during her event on Sept. 12. "I didn't want to ever show weakness, but then I realized it was OK. It wasn't the same as being a victim. It was OK to be a little bit vulnerable and ask for help."

Being open to help from outside sources was one piece of advice she implored the audience to take away from her story. Here are some others:

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED...

• Believe in yourself and your abilities.

Never stop. Love yourself. You are worth it.

• No victim mentality allowed.

There are no victims, only volunteers. Be brave. Feel the fear and do it anyway.

• Be kind.

Show people the love and they will love you back. Be grateful every day. Gratitude attracts all positive things to you.

View Magazine

Join Women@Work to get the magazine delivered to your home six times a year. You’ll become a member of our network of professional women. Click here.Times Union subscribers can view a digital edition of the magazine here . To subscribe click here.